Gates Aims to Accelerate Global Access to Merck’s Covid Pill
- Millions of courses could begin shipping in early 2022
- Foundation is committing up to $120 million to effort
Source: Merck & Co.
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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said millions of courses of Merck & Co.’s promising pill for Covid-19 could begin to reach lower-income nations early next year as the charity kicks in as much as $120 million to widen global access to the therapy.
The funds will help spur generic-drug manufacturers, some of which have indicated they could produce as many as 10 million treatments a month, according to Trevor Mundel, president of the global-health division at the Gates foundation. While regulatory hurdles and other challenges need to be resolved, those drugmakers could start shipments in the first quarter, he said.